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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26264155">Kin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whedonista93/pseuds/Whedonista93'>Whedonista93</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>John Casey: Space Merc [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Chuck (TV), Firefly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crossover, Family, Gen, Jayne Cobb is John Casey, John Casey is Jayne Cobb, Time Travel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:41:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>682</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26264155</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whedonista93/pseuds/Whedonista93</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>River smiles. “The girl belongs here because the girl was born here. Not-Jayne belongs because he belongs, but he didn’t start out here.”<br/>John bleeds into his demeanor, just a bit, just enough for him to drop the Rim from his speech and let his expression sober. “Poking around my head is just going to make yours hurt, girl.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>John Casey: Space Merc [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1908154</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Kin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kaylee reaches out to snag Jayne’s hand and squeezes weakly. “Don’t like you killin’ over me, Jayne.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jayne shrugs. “Cap’n woulda shot ‘im either way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’re you so nice to me for, when you’re so mean to everyone else?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jayne smiles. “Think those pain meds the doc’s got ya on’re makin’ ya loopy, Kaylee girl.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kaylee smiles and shakes her head. “You’re nice to me, Jayne Cobb. And ya don’t ever leer at me. I wanna know why.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jayne brings her hand up and brushes a kiss across her knuckles. “Wouldn’t  believe me if I told you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Try me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jayne stares at her. “‘Cause we’re kin. And I look after my people.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kaylee scrunches her nose. “I know all my kin.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jayne sighs. “Can’t just take me at my word?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stares.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>River wanders in. “His words are out of time. Head still lives in a different world.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jayne cocks his head to the side. “You ain’t quite right, are ya, little girl?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>River smiles. “The girl belongs here because the girl was born here. Not-Jayne belongs because he belongs, but he didn’t start out here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>John bleeds into his demeanor, just a bit, just enough for him to drop the Rim from his speech and let his expression sober. “Poking around my head is just going to make yours hurt, girl.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>River tilts her head. “The girl feels safe in his mind. Let’s her know she’s his people. He doesn’t let anyone hurt his people.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bang up job of that I’m doing,” he snorts, glancing at Kaylee in the bed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not your fault.” Kaylee pats his hand. “But what’re your two goin’ on about?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Some instinct causes him to look to River. The girl nods. He huffs. “You trust me, Kaylee?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kaylee nods.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Think I’m crazy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She frowns and shakes her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can keep a secret.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He brushes her hair back from her face. “I know you can… I…” River starts humming </span>
  <em>
    <span>Secret Agent Man</span>
  </em>
  <span> and Jayne chuckles. “Ain’t heard that in a minute.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>River frowns. “Can’t find the words, just the melody.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll teach ya later.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>River beams and wanders out of the infirmary.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turns back to Kaylee. “How far back do you know your family history?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kaylee’s forehead scrunches up as she thinks. “A ways back, I guess.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Back to Earth-that-was?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nana Nora would know. She says we’ve got some real special people way back. She’s got this old journal, says my whole-lotta-greats grandma Alex wrote it. Alex is kinda a funny name for a girl, don’t ya think? But Jayne’s a funny name for a boy…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Think the drugs are gettin’ to ya, Kaylee girl.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kaylee shakes her head. “Just thinkin’ out loud.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You ever read that journal?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kaylee nods. “Nana’s real careful with it, but I snuck it once when I was ‘bout 16. Grandma Alex talked about spies and computers in folks’ heads and her husband Morgan and namin’ her daughter John after her daddy who disappeared.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jayne’s throat catches.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kaylee’s hand brushes his cheek. “You alright, Jayne? Look like you’re ‘bout to cry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kaylee girl, I’m John. Alex was my daughter.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kaylee giggles. “You’re just yankin’ my pigtails, Jayne Cobb.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jayne shakes his head. “That journal… bet ya Alex talked about her dad goin’ off to find someone named Gertrude.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kaylee’s eyes go wide.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jayne continues, “Probably mentioned friends called Chuck and Sarah. Maybe even Carmichael Industries.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kaylee’s jaw drops. “How… I… my daddy says that the way things went with the war it’s safer not tell folk we were tied to Carmichael… we don’t talk about it. How’d you…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“‘Cause I helped found it, baby girl. I was there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Impossible.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jayne snorts. “You’re tellin’ me. One minute I’m in some warehouse in Russia, the next I’m on a different planet about five centuries in the future.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>River hums from where she’s reappeared in the doorway. “Carved a place out of the black with blood and steel.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kaylee stares at him for a long moment. “You’re tellin’ the truth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Afraid so, Kaylee girl.”</span>
</p>
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